Welcome to Breaking Geek, a column that just won’t go away, where uber-geek Nick Doll offers commentary, reactions, and theories regarding the most interesting news of the week (or whatever he feels like), using his expansive knowledge of all things geek! Today I again exploring another theory of my own… There Will Be NO New Captain America After Avengers 4.

The question has been on all Marvel Zombies’ minds since Chris Evans confirmed Steve Rogers will not return after Avengers 4: Who will take over the mantle and be our new Captain America in the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward?

After all, Captain America has the most ingrained and classic storylines in Marvel Comics as far as successors to his shield. In the comics, Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier had a crack at it after Steve Rogers was assassinated. This being comics, of course, Steve Rogers did return, only to lose his super soldier serum years later, when he passed the mantle to Falcon aka Sam Wilson. Again, the comics currently have Rogers behind the Shield, Falcon is back to his own look, and a new Winter Solider title starts before the end of the year.

So, will the MCU follow the comics, kill Steve and have Bucky (Sebastian Stan) take over? Will it jump to Falcon (Anthony Mackie) because he doesn’t have as troubled a past as Bucky aka The Winter Soldier, and was also Cap in the comics? Will a woman like Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp) take over? John Cena (seriously, the internet has jumped on that one)? Who will it be?

None of the above, true believers.

Whether Steve Rogers lives to see the end of Avengers 4 or dies in the ultimate act of self-sacrifice, I don’t think we’ll see a new Captain America for a very long time, if not until the eventual reboot of the entire universe.

Let’s explore my reasoning:

That Falcon And Winter Soldier Show

Depending on whether or not they show up again in Avengers 4 – we assume so, but anything could happen – we have heard the pair of would-be Caps are getting their own Disney Play limited series.

Which is brilliant, and the Marvel project I’m now most excited for besides Avengers 4. Just picture it, a buddy cop type series with Steve’s best buds smack talking each other and fighting crime! Just remember how lovely it was when Wilson wouldn’t move his seat up for Bucky in Captain America: Civil War. Or that time they fought Spider-Man together, unsuccessfully… in Civil War.

Hopefully, they can learn to get along, which is what a good “buddy cop” series or film should be about! Without Steve, these two complete each other. They are broken without him and need to learn that being a team is the only way they can live up to their fallen friend.

So, unless they take turns donning the costume and bickering over that, I don’t think we’ll see the stars and stripes return.

I don’t think we’ll see ANY of the characters from these Disney Play shows, that include Loki, Scarlet Witch featuring Vision, and Bucky and Falcon, on the big screen again. I feel that anyone who gets their own series will never again show up in the films in anything more than a cameo. The film side of the MCU shouldn’t and can’t hold on to all these characters while introducing more. As much as I love Infinity War, we never need to see that many heroes in one film ever again.

Based on all this, I’m going to assume these two primary candidates for Cap are out. Playing on Disney Play, not fighting the next great Avengers foe in the stars and stripes.

What About The Others?

What about them? How many other strong characters can we throw into Cap’s suit, making it feel organic? We’ve barely seen her, but Sharon Carter, great-niece of Peggy Carter, Cap’s long-lost love from WWII in Captain America: The First Avenger, could be a contender. I guess?

Sharon would need to get powers. But, she’s barely developed as it is. More likely, she’d be a part of the Falcon & Bucky show, if we ever see her again.

There are other strong female characters in the MCU, but they have their own strong identities. Black Widow, Valkyrie, and the like aren’t going to become Captain America. Because I don’t believe Disney will use Falcon and Bucky on the streaming service and at the movies, I do think they would want to break another boundary and go with a female Captain America, if there were to pass off the shield. But there just aren’t many great candidates, and I don’t want a brand new character we didn’t meet before the next phase, with Steve’s Shield!

Sorry, John Cena, you’re out too.

But, wait! There is another Captain in the Marvel Cinematic Universe I haven’t mentioned yet…

Captain Marvel Is The Only Cap We Need

That’s right, ladies and gents, we need no new Captain America! Because Kevin Feige has already set up his replacement, Captain Marvel (Brie Larson).

I’m not just saying this because she’s also some sort of “Captain.” Captain Marvel is quite the leader. She’s the perfect leader for a fresh-ish group made up of whoever survives/is saved in Avengers 4 and the next generation of Marvel heroes. Especially with Kevin Feige expressing interest in hiring as many female directors as possible and increasing the diversity of its heroes including race and gender.

Captain Marvel has led Alpha Flight on and off in the comics in the last few years, a sort of space-bound Avengers (at this point in their history), who instead of Avengers Tower or Avengers Mansion, have the Alpha Flight Space Station.

Even in the MCU, we are about to see she has the strongest leadership skills since Steve Rogers. The trailers suggest this as well as other details we know about her solo film coming out March 2019. She’s the head of an elite squad that answers to Ronan in that film, so she actually knows more about leading a team into what has been said to be Marvel’s Cosmic Age.

So, when you got a superpowered Captain, why hire a new one?

No More Captain America?

That’s right! At least for next Phase of the MCU, I predict we will not see a new Captain America on the big screen, though maybe we get a brief look at Bucky or Falcon with the Shield in their show.

Yes, it saddens me too. Chris Evans as Steve Rogers/Captain America has been the highlight of the MCU for me. And, I quite like Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie, but I think it is best for fans and the MCU to embrace our new Captain…

Captain Marvel!

Do you believe Marvel Studios would let the Captain America brand languish? Do you feel their needs to be a new Captain America? If not Bucky or Falcon, who? Let’s discuss!

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